A battle is brewing in Newton County over an overgrown lot that could become the future site of a truck stop.
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Jones Petroleum Company is requesting to annex its property into Social Circle along Highway 11 near Interstate 20.
Neighbors believe the developer is doing this because it was denied permission to build in Newton County.
“It ain’t gonna happen if I’m still living,” said neighbor Wayne Pugh.
Commissioner LeAnne Long said she feels the company is “trying to use any loophole they can find.”
Long said the plan for the 24-hour truck stop was settled back in 2021. She told Channel 2’s Cory James that the owner “agreed to build a travel center and we’ve been waiting on that for three years.”
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Commissioner Stan Edwards said the new plan for the 40-plus-acre lot includes a hotel, truck repair shop, restaurants, and a convenience store.
Edwards told James, “That did not exist in the project he and I agreed to several years ago.”
Meanwhile, neighbors told Channel 2 Action News that they are worried not only about their property values but also about traffic, noise, and crime.
Channel 2 Action News made several attempts to get a response from Jones Petroleum Company and the City of Social Circle. As of Friday night, neither organization responded.
A community meeting about this issue is taking place next Tuesday at the City Community Room in Social Circle. The meeting starts at 6 p.m.
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